Savills’ share price tumbles as estate agent warns over health of housing market August 10, 2023 Savills’ share price has plummeted after the estate agent blamed “obvious challenges” in the housing market for slumping revenues in the first half of the year. As rising mortgage rates knocked buyer confidence, the real estate advisor said group profit before tax fell to a weak £6.0m in the first six months of the year [...]
West End faces office supply crunch as back to work demand picks up August 10, 2023 Central London, particularly the West-End, is facing an office space supply crunch as demand for in person working picks up, property investment trust Derwent London has said. According to reports in its half year results, the listed business described the West-End as “very tight” with only 3.8 per cent of vacancy levels on office space. [...]
Persimmon slashes number of homes built as rate rise rattles business August 10, 2023 Persimmon has cut the number of homes it’s building by more than a third as the housebuilder faces up to rapidly rising mortgage rates and a slowdown in consumer confidence. The construction company built a total of 4,249 homes in the first half of the year down from 6,652 homes compared to the same period [...]
Estate agents hate these questions: You should ask them anyway August 10, 2023 Buying and selling your home is always high on the list of the most stressful times in a person’s life, up there with taking exams, getting divorced, and passing (or failing) a driving test. Estate agents are there to make this job easier, although only the good ones actually do. We asked two of the [...]
Property of the week: Live like a king in Marylebone August 10, 2023 This stunning property designed by Milanese interiors studio Peregalli looks like it belongs in the Le Palais de Versailles rather than the middle of Marylebone. The one-of-a-kind flat spans two Georgian townhouses, featuring double-height ceilings and intricate plasterwork throughout. It has an entrance hall; reception room with three huge sash widows; formal dining room complete [...]
Bellway ‘taking steps to reduce headcount’ as rate hikes continue mortgage slowdown August 9, 2023 British housebuilder Bellway’s underlying operating margin will contract from 18.5 per cent to 16 per cent as mortgage rates continue to slow down demand in the sector. The home construction company completed the build of 10,945 homes in the year ended 31 July falling from 11,198 in the same period last year. As the central [...]
South Bank: US developer plans three new skyscrapers by Blackfriars Bridge August 7, 2023 The South Bank may be set for three more skyscrapers after US property developer Hines submitted plans for an underdeveloped site near Blackfriars Bridge.
London and south east house prices fall fastest with analysts predicting five per cent crash August 7, 2023 House prices dropped by 0.3 per cent from June to July, the latest data suggests, with London and south east homes falling fastest in value. House prices fell by -2.4 per cent on an annual basis , easing from -2.6 per cent in June, the latest figures from Halifax show. The 0.3 per cent fall [...]
UK construction sector rebounds as uptick in commercial projects offsets housebuilding decline August 4, 2023 The UK’s construction sector rebounded in July as an uptick in commercial building and civil engineering work offset sharp falls in residential housebuilding. The latest S&P Global/CIPS construction purchasing managers’ index scored 51.7 in July, up from 48.9 in June and the highest level for five months. Any score above 50 indicates the sector is [...]
London rent crisis deepens: Costs may soar to £2,700 as families face being driven in to poverty August 3, 2023 Average rental costs in London may soar to £2,700 per month next year, new figures suggest. Families in the city are being driven into poverty by “sky-high” rents, campaigners warned. The figures, gathered by City Hall, mean that many Londoners can expect to pay £133 more than the current average of £2,567 calculated by Rightmove. [...]